Plastic practice bowling ball with selectable covered finger holes



Jan. 21, 1969 D. D. LAWRENCE 3,423,088

PL TIC PRA WLING BALL WITH CTICE BO ECTABLE COVERED FINGER HOLES FiledOct. 66

INV NTOR.

United States Patent 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A practicebowling ball including an outer shell filled with a foam plasticmaterial supporting a centrally positioned spherical weight. Some fingerreceiving recesses open through the shell and others are removablycovered by reduced thickness portions of the shell so that differentgrips are available to a bowler.

The present invention relates to a plastic practice bowling ball. Moreparticularly, the invention relates to a plastic practice bowling ballwith selectable covered finger holes.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a new andimproved practice bowling ball. The bowling ball of the presentinvention is of sturdy, substantially unbreakable structure and issuitably balanced and lightly weighted so that it does not damagehousehold objects and has the desirable characteristics of a practicebowling ball. The bowling ball of the present invention may be utilizedfor practice by bowlers with different sized hands and different fingersizes and separations with comfort and facility.

In accordance with the present invention, a practice bowling ballcomprises a spherical shell of plastic material having a substantiallyuniform thickness with a plurality of finger holes formed therethroughand a plurality of finger hole areas formed therein in the vicinity ofsaid finger holes. The thickness of the shell at each of the finger holeareas is less than the uniform thickness of the shell. A metal mass ofspherical configuration is positioned at the center of the shellsubstantially radially equidistant from the shell. The metal mass issupported in the shell by foam plastic material filling the shellbetween the metal mass and the shell.

In order that the present invention may be readily carried into effect,it will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing,wherein:

FIG. 1 is a view of an embodiment of the practice bowling ball of thepresent invention; and

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the embodiment of the practice bowlingball of the present invention, taken along the lines II-II of FIG. 1.

In the figures, a spherical shell 11 of plastic material has asubstantially uniform thickness 2. A plurality of finger holes 12 areformed through the shell 11. A plurality of finger hole areas 13 areformed in the shell 11 in the vicinity of the finger holes 12. Thethickness it of the shell 11 at each of the finger hole areas 13 is lessthan the uniform thickness 2 of said shell.

The thickness 1 of the shell 11 is sufficient to make said shell sturdyand substantially unbreakable. The thickness it of the shell 11 at eachof the finger hole areas 13 is small enough so that it may be readilyperforated and removed by a bowler. When the thickness it of the shell11 is broken and removed by a bowler, it uncovers or opens a fingerhole, which is formed in said shell under the corresponding finger holearea. Thus, if the practice bowling ball is to be utilized by more thanone bowler, or if a bowler finds that the finger holes are uncomforta-3,423,088 Patented Jan. 21, 1969 ICC ble, the shell 11 at the desiredfinger hole area or areas 13 may be perforated and removed to providethe desired additional finger hole or holes in the desired position orpositions.

A weight 14 is positioned at the center of the shell 11 substantiallyradially equidistant from said shell. The weight preferably comprises ametal mass of substantially spherical configuration. The weight 14 issupported in the shell 11, at the center thereof, by foam plasticmaterial 16 which fills the shell between the weight and the shell. Thefoam plastic material is sufficiently rigid to maintain the weight 16 inposition in the shell 11.

A recess, channel or groove 15 of substantially tubular configuration isformed in the foam plastic material 16 at each of the finger holes 12and at each of the finger hole areas 13. Each recess 15 extends along aradius of the shell 11 and may be of substantially constant diameter ormay taper down as it approaches the weight 14. Each recess 15 may extendfor the entire radial length or for a part of such length.

The finger holes 12 and the finger hole area 13 are of the various sizesutilized in bowling balls to accommodate the different ball-grippingfingers of the bowler.

While the invention has been described by means of a specific exampleand in a specific embodiment, I do not wish to be limited thereto, forobvious modifications will occur to those skilled in the art withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. A practice bowling ball, comprising a spherical shell of plasticmaterial having a plurality of finger receiving holes formedtherethrough, the thickness of said shell being substantially uniformthroughout except for a plurality of removable finger hole areas thereinin the vicinity of said finger holes, the thickness of said shell ateach of said finger hole areas being substantially less than saiduniform thickness to define reduced thickness areas adapted to beremoved by a bowler; weight means positioned in said shell; positioningmeans between said weight means and said shell for maintaining saidweight means in spaced relation to said shell, said positioning meansincluding a finger receiving recess extending inwardly from each of saidfinger holes and removable areas, said holes, removable areas andrecesses having such characteristics as to provide significantlydifferent grips for a bowler.

2. A practice bowling ball as claimed in claim 1, wherein said weightmeans is positioned at the center of said shell radially equidistantfrom said shell.

3. A practice bowling ball as claimed in claim 1, wherein saidpositioning means comprises foam plastic material filling said shellbetween said weight means and said shell.

4. A practice bowling ball as claimed in claim 3, wherein said weightmeans comprises a metal mass of spherical configuration positioned atthe center of said shell substantially radially equidistant from saidshell.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 863,126 8/1907 Wilson 273-63973,595 10/1910 Wahlin 273-58 2,291,738 8/1942 Luth et 'al 273-632,529,024 ll/l950 Jones 273-63 X RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner.

GEORGE J. MARLO, Assistant Examiner.

U.S. Cl. X.R. 33-174

